A Perfectly Flawed Love Story
by Light1172
Summary: Though Dawn has been gone for five years Paul still can't forget about her. A chance meeting with her, along with her companions, sparks an argument and then a confession. Maybe this day won't end the way Paul thinks it will.


**In this story Paul is twenty years old. Dawn is nineteen. They've known each other for eight years total, but haven't seen each other in five due to traveling to different regions and that sort of thing. They have seen each other on the television but they've had no contact. Now that those facts are cleared up.. Without any further delay... may I present... A Perfectly Flawed Love Story!**

* * *

If Paul knew one thing it was that he wasn't very good with people. He wasn't easy going, he wasn't kind, and he wasn't soft. He was determined, a bit arrogant, and intense. It was that attitude that came through when he spoke. It was in the way he walked, how he held himself, and how he acted. Paul was rough, cold, and uncaring. No one mattered to him.

And then there she was—all bright smiles and flashy eyes and life itself—and he was, for once, taken in by someone. Then that stray thought was brushed off. She was just a troublesome girl. She was too outgoing, too happy, and she cared about appearances. Paul didn't.

Dawn. She was like her namesake. She was color and energy and brightness. He was dark. Dark clothes, dark features and purple hair, dark personality. He was night just as she was day. Paul knew he wasn't good for her. He would only dim her light.

And his brother teased him. Reggie wanted his brother to show interest in a girl and Paul's only interest, no matter how negative, was in Dawn. He mentioned 'that troublesome girl' and everything was blown out of proportion. Reggie would make comments about the cute girl—no, not cute, Paul told himself—and Paul would walk away. It bothered him more than he let on. Dawn was stupid. Traveling with the loser and wearing those terrible short skirts and treating her Pokémon like humans were only some of her flaws. It didn't matter how she jumped for joy when excited or how big her smiles were. Dawn was still weak.

Dawn's voice was always filled with cheer. She had a pretty—no, not pretty, annoying and high pitched and irritating—laugh and it made Paul so angry. He would never admit that he was jealous of the loser for making her laugh. He would never say that he wanted to make her happy. Pfft. Happiness. Paul didn't need that. He only needed strength.

And sometimes, in the beginning, Paul would feel her watching him. He'd meet her gaze and Dawn's cheeks would color and she'd look away when he glared at her. Paul wondered why she would look at him. He was no one to her. He was considered a rival to Ash, but to Dawn he was a stranger. So why did she care at all? Why did her gazes linger?

He knew Dawn cared when he purposely forgot her name. She had been angry. Beyond that Paul detected a note of hurt. Why was she hurt by his actions? They were nothing to each other.

It was Reggie who first suggested it. "Maybe she likes you." He had said with exaggerated patience. This had shocked Paul momentarily and then he turned and left with his mind in a whirl. Damn it, this was just Reggie being the idiot he usually was. How would he know Dawn's feelings? Paul scoffed out loud at the idea. He kicked a stone off the path.

That had been just over five years ago. Dawn had left not long after his conversation with Reggie for her own journey. She traveled to the Hoenn region and competed there for ribbons. During those years Paul stayed in Sinnoh and his fame grew. The lavender haired man had decided long ago that he would be the Sinnoh Champion one day and damn it he would succeed. Paul had done his best to push his thoughts of Dawn away. He messed around with a few girls in his fan club to take his mind off of the blue haired beauty. Dawn often showed up on the television at the most inconvenient times and Paul would still watch her preform. Paul wondered if she ever noticed him on the news. It didn't matter though. Dawn was Paul's weakness and he didn't need a crack in his armor.

Now Paul made his way through the streets of Hearthome City. He was lost in his head as he turned corners and headed to the Pokémon Center.

"Paul!" A voice called to him. "Paul! Wait up!"

Paul turned and saw Ash approaching him from behind. At his side were the Pokémon breeder and the troublesome girl that sometimes occupied Paul's thoughts. Apparently they had met up again. Paul's eyes widened ever so slightly when he looked at Dawn. She had changed. Her blue hair was maybe five or six inches longer, she had curves, there was a touch of make-up on her face, and she had finally changed out of those stupid short skirts. Dawn was taller too, maybe around five foot five, and the only thing that he could see that was a not-so-good change was the fact that her signature smile was missing.

"What do you want?" Paul asked harshly. He would not show weakness.

The loser was startled. How pathetic. "We just wanted to know if you wanted to get lunch with us."

"I'm busy." Paul nearly growled. He turned away and took a couple of steps before another voice interrupted him.

"Paul! Who are your friends?" Reggie, who was currently renting a small apartment in Hearthome, stepped up next to Paul and kept him from walking away with a hand on his shoulder. Stupid, idiotic, moronic brothers. Paul took a deep breath to control his frustration.

"Loser, Breeder, and Troublesome." Paul said in way of introduction. At Reggie's disapproving look and Dawn's huff Paul sighed and tried again. "Ash, Brock, and Dawn."

"You remembered my name!" The blue haired girl practically squealed with joy. That smile once again was on her face.

"It only took me eight years, right Troublesome?" Paul smirked as the girl pouted.

Reggie considered Paul's words and Dawn's response. Paul could almost see the wheels turning in his brother's head. What had he said that made his brother look confused? Paul realized the issue and his heart stopped. Paul felt like cursing. He had introduced the girl as 'Troublesome'. Paul's brother had teased him for ages about the girl he was 'madly in love with' because obviously his negative nickname was the way Paul showed affection. That was completely false, Paul's mind had always said, but now that he was seeing her for the first time in nearly five years he suddenly doubted that voice in his head. He glared at the ground.

"I apologize for my brother's rudeness. Would you take lunch with us?" Reggie offered. Paul's head snapped up to fix his icy glare on his brother.

"What are you doing?" Paul complained under his breath. "Are you crazy?"

"Sure!" Ash said, seemingly oblivious to the stare down happening between the brothers. He looked at his traveling companions. It seemed like Ash was just as stupid as always, Paul noted, and that he hadn't grown up much at all. "That sounds fine, right guys?"

Dawn looked a bit nervous but nodded her head in agreement. Brock voiced his approval as well. Reggie's smirk warned Paul of oncoming trouble and he turned to leave. "I'm out of here."

"No." Reggie told Paul with a glare to match the coldness of the younger sibling's eyes. He didn't often demand anything but now was one of those rare times. "You're not going anywhere other than the house and you're going to eat with us and socialize."

Paul's tense posture and very visible scowl was his only response. He stalked off in the direction of his home and let Reggie lead the group behind him. Reggie's sunny attitude made Paul's thoughts spin. Paul was acting childish and he knew it, but he refused to let himself care.

Small talk was anything but exciting. Reggie, Ash, and Brock did most of the talking. Paul sulked and Dawn stared at her plate.

"So, Paul," Ash started with a grin, "Do you want to have a battle after we're done here?"

"No." Paul said simply. He glowered at the table and cut his food into even tinier pieces.

Ash's face fell. Paul received looks from the others sitting around the table. He glared back, not giving one bit of ground to those who disliked him.

"What? Why not?" Ash protested in disbelief. "You're my rival! It's our way to battle."

"I said 'No'." Paul replied. "I won't bother battling someone so weak."

"Why do you have to say things like that?" Dawn finally spoke up in anger. Her knife and fork fell against her plate. The table shook for a second. "Ash has changed, he's better than ever, and apparently everyone's grown up but you!"

Paul frowned at met Dawn's eyes with a steely gaze. "I have grown up."

"No you haven't! You're just as cold as ever. You haven't ever treated your Pokémon well, you aren't polite, and you don't care about anything or anyone other than yourself!" Her words were filled with frustration. Her fingers, clenched into a fist, slammed against the table.

Ash and Brock looked warily on. They hated to be the targets of Dawn's anger. On the other hand Reggie was surprised. He couldn't help but think that this was good for Paul. A girl that could bring out emotion in Paul was a rare find and this one in particular Paul had a certain attachment to.

"You haven't matured either!" Paul retorted. "You still judge me on information that you have assumed and on half-truths that you have been told! Grow up Troublesome!"

His words mocking, Paul stood and shoved his chair back. He was done. The food lay on his plate, cold and forgotten, as Paul walked toward the stairs. He heard an angry huff and the sound of a chair's legs squeaking against the wooden floor and he rolled his eyes. Troublesome.

"Paul! Wait!" Dawn called after him. She struggled to keep up with his long strides and fast pace. "Don't walk away from me!"

He reached his bedroom door and spun to face Dawn. Paul radiated anger as he stared Dawn down. "What do you want?

The blunette fidgeted under the harsh glare. Then Dawn's shoulders straightened, her chin raised almost defiantly, and she visibly steeled herself. "I want to know why you're  
walking away! I want you to explain the truth and tell me the right information about you. I want to understand you!"

Paul scowled. His voice grew as his frustration increased. "You don't need to know anything."

"Not need," Dawn corrected in a calmer but still feisty voice, "want. I want to know."

"Well I don't need to tell you anything. Go back to your friends and leave me alone!" Paul entered his bedroom. Dawn followed before he could close the door and she looked around curiously. Plain dark blue walls, full sized bed, a nightstand and dresser, a desk and chair, and a doorway to either a bathroom or closet summed up Paul's room.

"Get out." Paul told Dawn. "Get out and leave me alone."

Dawn continued in and sat down on the obsidian-eyed man's bed. The top sheet was bunched up and to the side where Paul had kicked it off. The bottom sheet was wrinkled and both were soft to the touch. She kept her gaze on him and she noticed the curiosity etched into his features for a moment before the mask returned.

"Why are you still here and on my bed no less?" Paul asked coldly.

"I feel like being here and your bed is comfortable." Dawn shrugged. A small smile graced her face at Paul's flustered look. "Is there a problem with me being on your bed?"

"No," Paul said with a frown that contradicted his next words, "No problem at all, Troublesome."

"Good," Dawn announced in a gleeful and triumphant voice, "because I'm not going anywhere."

Paul coughed and turned away. Finally, after a couple awkward seconds that seemed like an eternity, Paul looked back at the blunette who was tracing patterns on his sheets.

"Why do you hate me?" The girl asked hesitantly. She refused to meet Paul's eyes.

Paul thought about his answer and debated about lying. He looked away from Dawn when he gave his truthful response. "I don't hate you. I get frustrated with you. You confuse me."

"Wait, what?!" Dawn was very obviously shocked. Paul noted the way she bit her lip and played with the hem of her shirt. Her voice rose. "I confuse you? You're the confusing one! You're the one that's always moody and mood-swingy and you give off the whole badass attitude and you say I'm the one who's confusing?"

"Yes." Paul told Dawn. He was the one who stayed calm this time. "I'm saying exactly that."

"But… How?" Dawn asked. "How do I confuse you? I've been told that I'm an open book."

The man frowned. "You are too happy, too bubbly for everything to be real to you. Do you understand real life? You talk to your Pokémon like they are humans. You put on a show of being a ditz and you're not and I can't understand why you would label yourself like that. Does that somehow relate to you coordinating abilities?! You wear clothing that makes you look like some sort of slut and then you hate physical content from guys that aren't Ash. What goes on in your head?"

Paul had trouble stopping once the words started to tumble out. They were words that had been caught in him for too long and now he crossed boundaries. He caught sight of Dawn's crestfallen face and he noticed her eyes welling with tears.

"Shit!" He cursed. "Troublesome, I…"

She stood and made to brush past him but Paul stopped by standing in front of the door. Dawn faced the floor and whispered, "I was foolish for thinking that you could ever care for someone that wasn't related to you. I knew you didn't like me, but I didn't… I didn't understand what you thought of me and now I do. Let me through and I'll be out of your hair for good."

"Troublesome…" Paul looked lost for a moment. He looked at Dawn, but at the same time he was looking at something farther away. He ran a hand through his lavender hair. "I don't, I mean, I can't express myself in words without sounding like an asshole."

"That's a fact." Dawn told him rudely. She refused to meet his eyes.

"That's just who I am Dawn. I'm an asshole who doesn't deserve anything good. I'm rude, I'm arrogant, and I don't like emotions because they're only a sign of weakness." Paul tried to explain himself to the girl in front of him. "I do care."

Dawn met Paul's eyes then. He saw tear stains on her cheeks and frowned. His hand moved automatically to wipe the falling tears away but he halted the movement before he touched Dawn's face. Paul's arm returned to his side.

"You should go." Paul moved away from the door. If Dawn wanted to leave he wouldn't keep her. She deserved better than this. He was shocked to see her lingering and a frown returned to his face. "Why aren't you leaving?"

"I…" Dawn looked confused herself. "I don't know. I should go."

She took a few steps toward the door and turned to see Paul's slumped shoulders. He wasn't facing her but Dawn could almost feel the hurt coming in waves off of him. What had upset him? Dawn analyzed her actions. Before Dawn could stop herself she reached out to Paul. Her hand touched the back of his right shoulder. He turned in surprise.

"What—" Paul started to speak and then was interrupted. His eyes widened. He stopped in shock and all he could think was a little thought questioning if this was a dream.

And nothing could come out of his mouth, no matter how much he wanted to say something negative or mean to get her to leave, because her lips were pressed to his. She pulled back, eyes searching for a sign of his emotions, but then his lips were on hers and there was nothing soft or romantic about the kiss. It was eight years of knowing each other and five years of those years without contact (because seeing the other on television didn't count) and all the built up tension that had always existed between them. It was passion and want and need. No words of love were whispered when they broke apart. Paul claimed Dawn's lips again. Her hands tangled in his lavender hair and his hands went to her waist.

When they parted, both breathing heavily, Paul was pleased to notice the glazed look in Dawn's eyes, her messy hair, and her swollen lips. He kissed her again before she could run from him, because Paul knew that running was what she would do, and this kiss was softer. Dawn tasted of cinnamon. Again they parted.

Paul felt Dawn's stare and so he met her gaze. Her words were quiet when she spoke, as if she was afraid any noise would break the spell, and so she spoke in no more than a whisper, "I don't love you."

"I know." Paul replied in an equally quiet voice. "I know you don't return any of the affection I have for you."

"Affection? You like me?" Dawn didn't know how to respond to Paul's response. "As in, more than friends?"

"It's ok. I mean, I get it, I'm not the good guy, and you'd be better off with Ash or something. I'm too flawed." Paul told Dawn.

And it was true; Paul knew that he didn't belong with Dawn. He was too dedicated to his training to pay proper attention to a girl, much less a girl like Dawn who wanted the world, and in the end there would be conflict and fighting. Paul's dreams of becoming the Sinnoh Champion would get in the way of her contests or vice versa. His negative attitude would make her mad, her outgoing personality and positive way of looking at things would irritate him. It wasn't meant to be. Dawn deserved someone more like Ash, someone that could be her world as she could be his, someone that was good and kind and loving.

Paul looked at Dawn with hooded eyes. He could almost see her thoughts churning. Finally she spoke.

"You really do like me like that?" She questioned. A tiny smile started to form on her face.

"Yes, Troublesome, I like you. Like that." Paul mumbled and ducked his head. "You should go. Your friends will be waiting."

"They left already. I told them I'd meet them at the Pokémon center later." Paul's head snapped up at Dawn's words. Was she joking? Did they really leave her here alone with him? Paul didn't believe it but he couldn't hear any voices on the first floor to confirm his thoughts.

"Can I kiss you again?" Dawn asked Paul with a nervous smile after he failed to speak. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and stepped closer to the dark eyed man.

"Troublesome. Don't do this to me." Paul told Dawn bluntly. "Don't start what you won't finish."

"I don't love you." Dawn repeated her words from earlier and Paul glared. He didn't need a reminder. She stepped forward again and it took all of Paul's self-control to not move away or to kiss her. He didn't know what to think. He couldn't think clearly when she was this close.

"I don't love you, but I like you. I like you a lot. I used to have a crush on you. Did you know that?" Paul shook his head in disbelief at Dawn's words. Dawn's cheeks colored and she continued, "And that crush never truly went away. I've dated some guys and I've had good times with them, but there's always been that 'what-if' thought in my head. What if I had stayed? Would you have wanted me around? You couldn't stand me when we were younger and I didn't always like your attitude. We were yin and yang, fire and water, and the sun and moon. Opposites. Maybe it's good that I left. We both grew up. And you may be flawed, but you're a perfect sort of flawed. You wouldn't be the you that I like without your flaws."

"How long?" Paul asked. He didn't want the answer, not exactly, but he needed to know. "How long have you had that crush on me?"

"About seven years. Almost from the time we met." Dawn admitted hesitantly. "I thought it was just a child's crush that I'd grow out of but I haven't exactly done that."

"Seven years?" Paul questioned. His mind was reeling. "All this time?"

"Yes." Dawn told her long-time crush. She went to say more—what exactly she didn't know—just to cover up the silence, but he pulled her close and kissed her again.

"Stay with me." Paul whispered when they parted. "Travel with me. I can't promise you much, but I will say that I will do my best to make you happy."

The blunette smiled now, a real smile, and nodded. "I will. Ash and Brock will be leaving soon and I have no set plans. Traveling with you will be great, I know it!"

Her smile lit the way for Paul's small smile and she laughed. "You look good when you smile."

And Paul, who had never once believed in fairy tales or 'Happily Ever After', finally believed that maybe his story would have a good ending. Any journey with Dawn, his troublesome girl, would run a nice course.

* * *

**Ok guys, this is the first Pokémon fanfiction I'm uploading here and I'm not quite sure how much I like it. The ending bothers me a bit but I'm not sure how to fix it. This is my second Ikarishipping piece and yeah... Read and Review please. I want to know how I did. Any tips or advice? Please don't flame me. -Light1172**


End file.
